Democrats

U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, the Blue Dog Democrat from Oklahoma’s Second Congressional District, continues to draw heat for his ultra-conservative views, which include what some people argue is blatant pandering to big energy companies and the National Rifle Association.

Boren is drawing heat right now because he faces State Sen. Jim Wilson in the Democratic primary for his Congressional seat. Many state Democrats, and rightly so, are upset with Boren’s conservative positions that he argues reflect his constituents’ views but that others argue are most often diametrically opposed to mainstream Democratic political thinking.

As we know, Oklahoma is one of the reddest of red states, but Boren represents a traditional Democratic district, including Little Dixie, that has and will benefit greatly from some of President Barack Obama’s programs, including the new health care reform initiative, which Boren voted against.

Howie Klein, who blogs at Down With Tyranny, published a post on The Huffington Post recently that pointed out Boren’s ties to Big Oil. Klein writes:

Since 1990, Big Oil has invested around $144 million in the careers of congressmen, almost all conservatives. Almost 70% of the payoff have gone to Republicans. And among current members of the House there's only one Democrat in Big Oil's Top 10: Dan Boren ($565,460). As you can see, Big Oil is, by far, the biggest source of cash for his political endeavors. What you haven't been able to see, until Fox caught it on tape, is that Boren, who bragged about not voting for Obama and who has voted against virtually every piece of Democratic legislation since Obama has become president, has never found anything in the oil industry's agenda that he didn't get behind.

The Fox to which Klein was referring isn’t Fox News but Josh Fox, a filmmaker, who recently filmed Gasland, which is appearing on HBO. The film critiques the hydraulic fracturing drilling process, which some people argue leads to water contamination. In the film, Boren is depicted as a toady to the energy industry. (Go to the 1:30 mark on the film’s trailer posted above.)

Klein also dissects a recent Boren political ad, which shows him holding a rifle and touting his excellent rating from the NRA. The ad could have been easily produced for an ultra-conservative Republican. Here’s that ad:

Wilson has a difficult battle against the well-funded Boren, but many Oklahoma progressive Democrats think his campaign is worth it to show just how conservative Boren has become in recent years. Some might argue it’s not worth risking the chance the seat could be picked up by a Republican, but if we eliminate the expression of progressive views entirely from Oklahoma politics, what then?

You can contribute to Wilson’s campaign by clicking here.

It’s probably an understatement to argue that this has not been a great year for progressive Oklahoma Democrats so far.

No viable Democratic candidate has emerged to challenge U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn. Both Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson, trail U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin in polling. The Republican-dominated legislature continued its destructive, ideological spree at the state Capitol pretty much unabated and sometimes helped by conservative Democrats.

So it was fantastic news for progressives to learn that state Sen. Jim Wilson, a Democrat from Tahlequah, has announced he will challenge Blue Dog U.S. Rep. Dan Boren in the Second District Congressional Democratic primary.

Even more fantastic is this: Wilson, in the words of one blogger, Howie Klein, who interviewed him, won’t be running as “another Republican-lite reactionary.” This means he could challenge Boren on his Republican-like stances on issues such as health care reform and taxation during the campaign. Wilson is a viable candidate who could make Boren respond to criticism that his conservative votes have not always been in the best interests of his constituents.

This is what Wilson had to say in a recent press release about the relationship between medical record management systems and health care reform:

For years, the debate on true health care reform has not been fact-based. It has been fear-based, driven by the greed of those who profit most from a broken system. As a result, hundreds of thousands of working Oklahomans have not been able to afford insurance. Even those fortunate enough to have it often find that after years of faithfully paying premiums, the companies will do everything in their power to avoid providing the care patients need. With proper reform, there will be no additional cost to Oklahoma, but the benefits will be innumerable.

Boren, of course, voted against the recent federal health care bill, arguing it costs too much money. Wilson argued the federal government was forced to step in to do something about health care and that any costs to Oklahomans “could be easily offset by eliminating waste, fraud and utilizing better management of medical records.”

Wilson, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Marine Corps, is going to draw a sharp distinction between himself and Boren on the campaign trail. This alone is good news for progressives.

The Second District encompasses 24 counties in the eastern part of Oklahoma. Some of the major cities in the district are Durant, McAlester, Muskogee, Tahlequah, Claremore and Miami. It includes the Little Dixie region in southeastern Oklahoma.

There’s little doubt that Wilson faces a real battle to win against an incumbent with huge family name recognition. Boren is the son of University of Oklahoma President David Boren, who is a former Oklahoma Governor and U.S. Senator. His grandfather, Lyle Boren, was a former U.S. Representative as well.

But with enough financial support and a good ground campaign, Wilson can win, and he can win without siding with the fear mongering and corporate worship that defines the current GOP and conservative Democrats, such as Boren. Wilson also has his own Oklahoma credentials and following in his Senate district and surrounding areas. He has also served in the Oklahoma House.

You can contribute to Wilson’s campaign by going to the Bad Dogs page on ActBlue.

Senate and House Democrats are threatening to hold up a budget agreement unless Republicans agree to a provider fee for hospitals that could bring the state millions of dollars in new Medicaid money.

The provider fee is a pragmatic, sensible proposal that deserves bipartisan support. It’s unfortunate some budget negotiators apparently don’t see it that way.

State Sen. Andrew Rice, an Oklahoma City Democrat, and state Rep. Scott Inman, a Del City Democrat, have led the public charge with the proposal, which is supported by the Oklahoma Hospital Association.

In a statement this week about the proposal, Rice, pictured right, said the hospital fee would be a “300 percent” return on an investment. The federal government matches the fee on a 3-1 basis in Medicaid dollars. It would bring in millions of new dollars to the state, Rice said.

It makes sense to take advantage of the available federal money, especially when the state faces a massive budget crisis.

Rice said state Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, an Oklahoma City Republican, doesn’t favor the proposal.

The legislative session ends in about two weeks. Will there be a budget deal soon? The state faces a budget shortfall some estimate at $600 to $850 million. It’s time to put aside ideology and find political compromises to prevent human suffering and permanent institutional damage.

Democrats should be commended for taking a stand and bringing this issue to the public forefront.